Skype is to offer on-the-fly translation services, teaming up with Language Line Services to make it easier for businesses and individuals to translate from English into more than 150 languages.

Using a mix of internet calling and personal interpreter services, the offering allows Skype users to talk instantly to anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time, regardless of language, for a fee.

Language Line Personal Interpreter Services over Skype can be used for $2.99 per minute. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Interpreter costs are automatically charged to the caller's SkypeOut account.

Saul Klein, vice president of marketing at Skype, said: "Language Line's Personal Interpreter Service greatly enhances the Skype experience for our growing multilingual customer base.

"Our consumers can now use the Skype technology to easily communicate in the languages their customers and friends prefer to speak."

The service uses Voxeo's Prophecy voice platform to automate the process of transferring the call from Skype to Language Line Services.